Impact study of technology transfer on mushroom cultivation for skill development and employment generation in Bihar

Mushroom cultivation has an emerging scope in the production and marketing as mushroom has taken place of an important dish in Indian food culture.There is no more skilled labour and high capital is required during initial extent. Study to ascertain the impact of vocational training programme on mushroom cultivation to upgrade their skills for generation of self employment among the trainees were conducted at Department of Plant Pathology, Bihar Agricultural College, BAU, Sabour, Bihar during the year 2011–12 to 2014–15. Data pertaining from training that adoption rate ofmushroom cultivation was increased and it was 16, 12, 24 and 26 per cent in case of Man participants, while the Woman participants had high adaptation rate i.e. 36, 44, 38, and 42 per cent during the year 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14 and 2014–15, respectively withover all perception level, 52, 56, 42 and 68 per cent regarding knowledge about mushroom edibility, preliminary knowledge of mushroom cultivation, profitability in mushroom cultivation, food value and recipes, marketing &business, cropping management and disease & pest management respectively was observed in every consecutive year. The marketing source facilitating to sale the fresh mushroom was also studied and found that local market give highest efficiency i.e. 28.40 per cent where the growers sale fresh mushroom followed by vegetable vendors i.e. 18.52 per cent. The positive and significant correlation participant characteristics indicate that the participants with better education and farming had better knowledge gain.